PETER WHITEFORD has been disqualified from the New Delhi event over a ball-moving incident late in his third round.

Television replays of Whiteford's third shot to the 18th showed that his ball rolled a fraction before he played to the green and because he signed his card it meant disqualification.

Officials reviewed the matter as the 31-year-old from Kirkcaldy began the final round and he was given the bad news just after bogeying the short third.

European Tour chief referee John Paramor said: "Peter felt his ball may have moved and for confirmation asked his caddie, a fellow competitor and a TV cameraman, who said they didn't think it had, and so he continued on to finish the hole.

"Overnight several viewers contacted the Tour website. This was reviewed by the Rules Committee, who were able to determine that the ball had in fact moved. He should have incurred a penalty of one stroke and replaced the ball.

"As he did not do so, he was disqualified for signing for a score lower than taken for failing to include the penalty he had incurred. If he had contacted a member of the Rules Team before signing his scorecard, the footage would have been reviewed at the time and he would have averted the disqualification penalty."

Whiteford said: "I should have reviewed it. You can see it when you look at TV. John spoke to me before I went out, so to be honest my head wasn't in it from the first tee.

"I'm not cheating obviously. It's one of those things, but disappointing."

Whiteford, still to win on the circuit, led after the first and second rounds and was still in front when he double-bogeyed the 17th hole yesterday.

With six holes to go South African Jbe Kruger led by three from Spain's Jose Manuel Lara and German Marcel Siem.